Original Butterfly House Mackinac Island

The Original Butterfly House Mackinac Island is one attraction to put on
your "things to do" list.

Between the shopping, the bicycling, the
carriage rides, walking and exploring the Island, many people long to
find a quiet place to just relax and rest.

There is no place better to
enjoy a short reprieve from all that exercise than a visit to the quaint
Original Butterfly House of Mackinac Island.

Located near downtown Mackinac Island just behind St. Anne's Church
sits a yellow house. It has an attached green house filled with beautiful
plants, charming little waterfalls and ponds with hundreds of exotic
butterflies from Asia, Africa and North and South America.

This is the
Original Butterfly House Mackinac Island. It's just a ten minute walk
from the downtown area and well worth the trip.

Some people
might find the hill a little intimidating but, they can make the trip to
the Original Butterfly House in one of the Island's fine horse drawn
taxis. There is a bike rack to park your bikes in front of the building.

A Butterfly House With History

The Original Butterfly House Mackinac Island is not only unique sight
to see and a novel experience, it is also quite historical as it was
the first butterfly house established in Michigan and the third in the
United States.

The greenhouse was originally used to grow
flowers for the Grand Hotel and other businesses, but when the owner
read about a butterfly house being established in Europe he decided to
open one on the Island.

What You Will Find in the Original Butterfly House...

Step inside and if you are lucky you may see a butterfly emerge from
it's chrysalis, watch as it wings fill out and dry through a special
window.

Experts say between 10 am and 1 pm is your best chance to see this
miracle occur. Then step inside the green house itself and be greeted by
butterflies of many species on any given day, flitting about, resting
on plants, or enjoying the nectar from the fruit the owners haved
provided. Sit quietly and enjoy the flight of the butterflies and the
soft music provided.

Don't rush through the green house...not only is it fun to observe the
butterflies but also, it is enjoyable to watch the children squeal with delight
when finding butterflies among the leaves. You will see teenagers just relax and observe the wonders of this special place, and delight as adults become enthralled with these beautiful winged insects. Sit
down and just "smell the roses" for awhile.

If you wear bright colored clothing, you will increase your chances of
having one of these amazing creatures land on you. Then you can
observe them up close and personal! See how wonderfully marked these
delicate little insects are.

When you enter the Original Butterfly House
Mackinac Island, you are given a chart that helps you to identify the
various butterflies. What fun to see just how many different butterflies
you can spot! Kids especially love this activity!

Butterfly House Mackinac IslandDon't Forget Your Camera!

Of course you are going to want to bring your camera and fully charged
batteries to capture as many of these butterflies up close as you can.
You may never get a better chance to see so many different types of
butterflies all in one place at one time.

Two things that makes the Original Butterfly House Mackinac Island such a wonderful place to visit are:

there is a guide on hand to answer any of your questions

the owner is more than happy to teach those who are interested in
starting their own butterfly garden at home. He will share what plants are best
for the type of butterflies your garden will attract.

After you have seen your fill of the butterflies in action you can then visit the insect room
attached to the butterfly house. While not quite as colorful as the
butterflies themselves, there are several interesting insects that the
entire family will enjoy learning about.

They also offer special rates for groups of ten
or more. Take advantage of this if you have a large family or are
traveling with friends.

Insider Tip: It certainly is nice to know that
amid all the hustle and bustle of life on Mackinac Island, there is an
indoor place where you can sit back, relax and be surrounded by the
beauty of flowers, plants, butterflies and people enjoying the simple
things in life.

The Original Butterfly House Mackinac Island closes
early for the butterflies go to bed early!